Jersey Spring Update

Job Evaluation

Health & Social Services have now matched almost 99% of the jobs, we are aware this has taken longer than expected but when the June 2014 date was set we believed the employment relations team were being ambitious to say the least and the work has been more time consuming than expected. It is also disappointing that no one has yet been informed where there job has been evaluated to. This is as a result of the States deciding to use the Job Evaluation process across the public sector in civil service and manual worker grades. We are working very closely with the employment relations team to make sure this work can be got to a level that the rewards team can produce a pay structure that we can begin to negotiate on so I ask you to bear with us but I will be happy to respond to any queries or questions you have just call or email me.

Framework Agreement

As part of our 2012/13/14 pay agreement we committed to work with the employer on the new pay structure to be completed by June 2014 when we would get the 4% for 2014 as per the offer. Following discussions with the employer and other trade unions on the formation of a Joint Council and agreement was reached on key principles for this to go on and secured payment of the 4% for 2014 from January for all pay groups.

This document has been worked on modified and created by all trade unions and the employer and is now ready to be implemented as a pilot. From Nurses and Midwives the RCN and the RCM have signed up to participate in the pilot but the JNA have decided, as they are part of Unite, they cannot participate at this time. Although this is disappointing as we have always worked closely together for Nurses and Midwives we respect the JNA have the right to take this stance as part of Unite.

Participating in this pilot does not weaken our position but strengthen it. The Nurses and Midwives handbook had, in many areas, become out of date and in our last pay dispute we did not even have a workable process in the handbook to go into formal dispute with the SEB and had to agree a temporary one with assistance from JACS.

The RCN strongly believes the best way forward for negotiations is to be part of the council pilot with our trade union colleagues. Nothing has been proposed and we are giving nothing away by engaging in this process but we want to be there at the table when these important matters are discussed and ensure we have our say.

2015 is only beginning and with no new pay structure in place it is accepted that the new pilot council will be the main forum on how pay talks will be managed for 2015. The Nurses and Midwives Staff side have already submitted a letter laying down our position and our expectation of the SEB and believe being part of the council we will have a stronger voice. The RCN on Jersey remain committed to achieving our goal of equal pay for work of equal value.